"We’re not shooting the ball great," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. "That’s no secret. This will be a good learning game, because guys realized how hard you have to play, how physical the game is."

The Spartans’ struggles from beyond the arc began early, when sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. missed a wide-open three to start the game. His miss set the tone for a night of frustration, as MSU couldn’t find any rhythm — starting 0-for-8 before senior guard Trey Fort finally knocked down a three early in the second half. It turned out to be the Spartans’ only make from deep all night.

Fort would finish the game 2-for-5 with five points and two assists. Fears would finish going 0-for-7 with four points, nine assists and three rebounds. While combining for only nine points, the two guards did their part, passing the ball well and limiting a strong Razorback offense. 

Arkansas also struggled from long range, though not as severely as MSU. The usually efficient Razorback shooters couldn’t find their rhythm, finishing 7-for-28 from beyond the arc — including just 2-for-14 in the second half.

This sudden Razorback struggle wasn’t just a coincidence of ill-consistency, but rather of an improved MSU defense that closed out better than it did in the first half. As opposed to the first half, Spartan defenders did a better job getting in the faces of Arkansas shooters, contesting shots that never fell.

"I thought both teams played well defensively," Izzo said. "I was proud of the way we handled this game. We have so many big games coming up, and we have a lot of work to do."

MSU has played without three-point abilities before. It’s a trend, making it familiar territory, making the game easier to adjust. So when things weren’t going right and three point shots weren’t falling, it adjusted, and then it thrived. 

The adjustment was simple: play physical, get the ball in the paint and score. The Spartans did just that, giving the ball to their big men, who made physical moves and found success scoring from under the basket. MSU finished the game with 46 points in the paint, opposed to Arkansas’ 28. 

The leader of this paint party was freshman forward Cam Ward, who had a coming-out party, going 8-for-13 with 18 points and ten rebounds. All night, Ward was in perfect position to make play after play, shot after shot, dunk after dunk, sending the Breslin Center in a frenzy of cheers. 

"I think [this game] showed that I'm one of the top freshmen in college basketball," Ward said. "I'm somebody that [opposing teams] need to watch out for going forward."

Ward’s supporting cast in this paint party featured MSU’s reliable big men. Senior center Carson Cooper went 3-for-5 with nine points and two rebounds, while senior forward Jaxon Kohler added 10 points and seven rebounds on 5-for-13 shooting. Junior forward Coen Carr also made an impact everywhere on the floor, finishing 4-for-7 with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. All three set the tone defensively, playing physical and tough — a major reason the Razorbacks struggled in the paint where MSU thrived.

"Unfortunately in college basketball right now, I don’t think winning is at the top of many people's list," Izzo said. "Tonight proved that it was at the top of Michigan State’s list. [This game] just proves that together we can get a lot of things done. I thought that was a good team win tonight."

MSU will continue to look to improve as a team on Thursday, Nov. 13 against San Jose State at 6:30 in the Breslin Center.